Saturday, June 30, 2007
Doctor Who Finale One Word Review
Hrm.
Labels: Doctor Who
Friday, June 29, 2007
More Catching Up Links
Mmmmm, yummy slightly stale linkages!
Follow the life of a cat through pictures taken by the cat. Well, sort of.
Mika Brzezinski is so sick of the Paris Hilton nonsense that she refused to read the story on MSNBC, attempting to light the copy of the story on fire, then ripping it up, then shredding a second copy of the story. Here's a YouTube video of her actions. YAY!
I didn't get to post that Julie Amero gets another trial after the idiotic original trial. This was a non-techie substitute teacher who was told to NOT turn off the computer, and was unable to deal with it when explicit porn pop-ups started to appear. She was facing 40 years in prison for something she didn't do, and has suffered irreparable harm to her life and reputation.
Along the same lines, here's another case of children exposed to porn in the classroom.
DRM will never work.
More Disney-fied Fair Use.
Idiot Publisher disgraces himself by stealing a laptop from Google.
I like Comic Sans for VERY SMALL bit parts on my Aquaman page. I don't like it anywhere else. I'm not alone.
1900's Laugh Out Loud Cats.
Wireless Lightbulb.
While this entry is fascinating, the update is very interesting, "A Penn State researcher determined contrails make a difference of about 2 degrees after the attacks on September 11, 2001 when planes were grounded."
Rethinking Thin. I tend to agree with the premise, but not the conclusion. Your weight may have many factors, from genetics to environment, but at the end all that matters is whether or not you take in more calories than you expend. It's really simple, and terribly difficult.
The more I read xkcd, the more I like it. Bloggin' bout my generation...
Follow the life of a cat through pictures taken by the cat. Well, sort of.
Mika Brzezinski is so sick of the Paris Hilton nonsense that she refused to read the story on MSNBC, attempting to light the copy of the story on fire, then ripping it up, then shredding a second copy of the story. Here's a YouTube video of her actions. YAY!
I didn't get to post that Julie Amero gets another trial after the idiotic original trial. This was a non-techie substitute teacher who was told to NOT turn off the computer, and was unable to deal with it when explicit porn pop-ups started to appear. She was facing 40 years in prison for something she didn't do, and has suffered irreparable harm to her life and reputation.
Along the same lines, here's another case of children exposed to porn in the classroom.
DRM will never work.
More Disney-fied Fair Use.
Idiot Publisher disgraces himself by stealing a laptop from Google.
I like Comic Sans for VERY SMALL bit parts on my Aquaman page. I don't like it anywhere else. I'm not alone.
1900's Laugh Out Loud Cats.
Wireless Lightbulb.
While this entry is fascinating, the update is very interesting, "A Penn State researcher determined contrails make a difference of about 2 degrees after the attacks on September 11, 2001 when planes were grounded."
Rethinking Thin. I tend to agree with the premise, but not the conclusion. Your weight may have many factors, from genetics to environment, but at the end all that matters is whether or not you take in more calories than you expend. It's really simple, and terribly difficult.
The more I read xkcd, the more I like it. Bloggin' bout my generation...
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Catching Up With Links
Trying to catch up with some of the saved links I've been holding on since earlier, when I was all foggy. Lots more to follow. Hopefully I can catch up before we go on our roadtrip... *sigh* Some of these links are no doubt pretty stale, but I still like 'em.
Unshelved on BookExpo.
BOOM!
Warren Ellis: That's what you use television for.
Vintage Seattle: Sand Point Naval Station Commissary.
Wendy's can't comply with a NYC law on how to display nutrition information, so they won't display any nutrition info. The regulation is stupid. I want nutrition information, but micro-managing the format is a tad overzealous.
I follow the path of Doctor Who. Awesome.
Will Vampires drink it?
More on Google is stalking my cat. And more.
Schroedinger's LOLCat. I like that one.
Unshelved on BookExpo.
BOOM!
Warren Ellis: That's what you use television for.
Vintage Seattle: Sand Point Naval Station Commissary.
Wendy's can't comply with a NYC law on how to display nutrition information, so they won't display any nutrition info. The regulation is stupid. I want nutrition information, but micro-managing the format is a tad overzealous.
I follow the path of Doctor Who. Awesome.
Will Vampires drink it?
More on Google is stalking my cat. And more.
Schroedinger's LOLCat. I like that one.
Labels: Cats, Doctor Who, Google, Health, Links
Girl Genius
Girl Genius has exceeded the monthly bandwidth for their site, so if you want to read Friday's comic, check out the Girl Genius LiveJournal backup. This is actually good news, as it means their audience has outgrown their server. They are working to get a new provider that offers more bandwidth.
Labels: Girl Genius, Webcomics
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Mini-Linkdump
For the first time in months, thanks to the heat in Seattle, I'm not constantly wishing for a slanket.
Ever After, Even After.
I may have already linked to this, but I want to remember it, so I'm embedding it.
Ever After, Even After.
I may have already linked to this, but I want to remember it, so I'm embedding it.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Unrelated to Anything Else
Today's morning weigh-in shows that I've lost 85 pounds since I started my efforts on June 10th 2006. I could lose up to 55 more pounds before I start becoming disgustingly (and possibly unhealthily) skinny. I don't have a particular goal weight, anymore. My plan is to continue eating and exercising the way I have been for the last year and let my weight settle whenever it wants to settle.
As a result, my rate of loss should be slowing the closer I get to whatever my final weight will be. I expect these Unrelated to Anything Else posts to get rarer as time goes by. I'm actually surprised that it only took me a month to lose the most recent 5 pounds. It should've taken much longer, especially with all the disaster days I had. Still, I expect to know what my final weight will be sometime next summer. Watch this space. Maybe I'll start doing these posts monthly or so once I stop losing weight.
I'm keeping up with the exercise, and I've discovered that I can run again. I can jump around and not destroy my knees. I can move more freely. The weight loss isn't doing much to help the fibromyalgia, but every other health problem I have is going away! I've actually begun to get a good sense of what is fibro and what isn't thanks to the weight loss, and it's not entirely what I expected.
I have a neck again. And my collarbone has reappeared. My face now resembles the face I remember when I look in the mirror. My wrists have almost no fat on them at all. My wedding ring slides off when I type, so I don't wear it anymore (must get it adjusted). I'm still technically "obese", but I'm very close to simply being "overweight". I was "morbidly obese" when I started.
Moving on to snackfoods... I have tried a number of 100 Calorie packs, and here's some quick thoughts on them. Hostess 100 Cal Cakes: Ok, but very messy. I want a 100 calorie Ding Dong. Keebler Fudge Shoppe Stripes and Grasshoppers: YUM! The grasshoppers (mint chocolate) are even better than the full-size cookies. Snackster's Chocolate and Peanut Butter: Decent. General Mills Chocolate Caramel Chex: Better than expected, Crunchy. Nabisco Cheese Nips: Yuck. Nabisco Chips Ahoy and Oreo: Eh. Nabisco Lorna Doone: Yum. Nabisco Planters Peanut Butter, Teddy Grahams, Wheat Thins: Ok. Kellogg's Yogos (90 calorie packs!): Yum.
I think the Pocky and stuff that Michael Sensei sent me will last me quite awhile. My only problem is, because I don't read Japanese, I'm having trouble figuring out nutritional info. The stuff I buy from import shops are required to have English translations of the nutrional labels. I've compared labels of ones I have translations for, and can at least figure out the serving sizes and calories (I'm clever when not fogged). But I'm really curious about the rest of the labels. For the first time, I really wish I could read Japanese. Or at least post Japanese Kanji and hope that someone would translate for me.
As a result, my rate of loss should be slowing the closer I get to whatever my final weight will be. I expect these Unrelated to Anything Else posts to get rarer as time goes by. I'm actually surprised that it only took me a month to lose the most recent 5 pounds. It should've taken much longer, especially with all the disaster days I had. Still, I expect to know what my final weight will be sometime next summer. Watch this space. Maybe I'll start doing these posts monthly or so once I stop losing weight.
I'm keeping up with the exercise, and I've discovered that I can run again. I can jump around and not destroy my knees. I can move more freely. The weight loss isn't doing much to help the fibromyalgia, but every other health problem I have is going away! I've actually begun to get a good sense of what is fibro and what isn't thanks to the weight loss, and it's not entirely what I expected.
I have a neck again. And my collarbone has reappeared. My face now resembles the face I remember when I look in the mirror. My wrists have almost no fat on them at all. My wedding ring slides off when I type, so I don't wear it anymore (must get it adjusted). I'm still technically "obese", but I'm very close to simply being "overweight". I was "morbidly obese" when I started.
Moving on to snackfoods... I have tried a number of 100 Calorie packs, and here's some quick thoughts on them. Hostess 100 Cal Cakes: Ok, but very messy. I want a 100 calorie Ding Dong. Keebler Fudge Shoppe Stripes and Grasshoppers: YUM! The grasshoppers (mint chocolate) are even better than the full-size cookies. Snackster's Chocolate and Peanut Butter: Decent. General Mills Chocolate Caramel Chex: Better than expected, Crunchy. Nabisco Cheese Nips: Yuck. Nabisco Chips Ahoy and Oreo: Eh. Nabisco Lorna Doone: Yum. Nabisco Planters Peanut Butter, Teddy Grahams, Wheat Thins: Ok. Kellogg's Yogos (90 calorie packs!): Yum.
I think the Pocky and stuff that Michael Sensei sent me will last me quite awhile. My only problem is, because I don't read Japanese, I'm having trouble figuring out nutritional info. The stuff I buy from import shops are required to have English translations of the nutrional labels. I've compared labels of ones I have translations for, and can at least figure out the serving sizes and calories (I'm clever when not fogged). But I'm really curious about the rest of the labels. For the first time, I really wish I could read Japanese. Or at least post Japanese Kanji and hope that someone would translate for me.
Labels: Health, Unrelated to Anything Else, Weight Loss
Monday, June 25, 2007
Some Links
I must be getting better, as I was able to read through the mega-Olney thread and pick out this, which ought to be spread far and wide to any Olney victims.
There's a hot girl in the Comic Shop (YouTube). Also via the Olney thread.
Anti-Female ads backfire.
There's a hot girl in the Comic Shop (YouTube). Also via the Olney thread.
Anti-Female ads backfire.
Labels: Comic Shop, Comics Industry, Links, Unscrewed
Sunday, June 24, 2007
I Must Be Close...
...to breaking out of this fog. I can't quite imagine staying like this much longer.
Labels: No Blog Kinda Day
Saturday, June 23, 2007
On April Fools Day Jokes
You can always tell when people aren't doing their research when an item that was posted as an April Fools Day joke, with a clear link that indicated that it was an April Fools Day joke, shows up months later as an actual news item in a magazine.
Labels: April Fool
Friday, June 22, 2007
Loot!
Michael Sensei, as mentioned in the last entry, sent me a nifty "care package" from Japan. I believe that had to do with my entry about the Melon Pocky I found. Well, in addition to toys, he sent some Pocky:
I was expecting maybe a box, two... three at the most. He sent a dozen boxes! Now, I don't know what ALL the flavors are... but starting on the top row, left to right: decorated pocky, dark chocolate, strawberry giant pocky, five fruits (goka), mousse (mango?), and mousse (green tea). Bottom row, left to right: milk & honey (two boxes), Hello Kitty (strawberry?), coconut, Tahitian vanilla, and non-Pocky Kisyu Ume (sour plum).
In addition to boxes of Pocky and a few loose toys, there were nine of these boxes, resealed. At first I really thought that they had Godzilla toys in them, but when I opened them to check, I found each box had a bunch of different items! No Godzilla to be found.
I don't know if Michael Sensei is aware that collect penguins. My penguin collection is a bit strange and goofy, and I can't imagine any better additions than these fine fellows!
On the back of the Penguin's Lunch box is a list of the penguins available in the set... I haven't tried the actual crackers yet, but if they are excellent I may end up trying to order more through one of the local import shops.
More toys! These are based on works by Beatrix Potter.
Most of these toys are destined to be given out as reading prizes at the local library, if the teen librarian gets back to me and says that she wants them. For the record, Michael Sensei, I was born in the year of the Pig... so I'm an Aquarius/Capricorn Pig. Hmmm. And I married an Aquarius Horse. That sounds kind of kinky. By the way, I will be keeping the Seattle Mariners compressed towel.
Fish! As you can see, I'm going to have to figured out which fish belongs to which stand. Michael Sensei, being a good teacher, suggested I look them up myself. Heh. These fine fishies may show up on the Aquaman page in some form or another.
In return, Michael has asked for some cheap comics to give to his students. I need to hunt some down soon and make up a return care package. I also need to sample those Pocky! And Penguin's Lunch! And Sour Plum non-Pocky!
If you haven't read Michael Sensei's blog recently, you MUST check out his entry on Cucumber Pepsi. I like his idea for Watermelon Pepsi. I might even be willing to have pop again to try it, if it came out.
I was expecting maybe a box, two... three at the most. He sent a dozen boxes! Now, I don't know what ALL the flavors are... but starting on the top row, left to right: decorated pocky, dark chocolate, strawberry giant pocky, five fruits (goka), mousse (mango?), and mousse (green tea). Bottom row, left to right: milk & honey (two boxes), Hello Kitty (strawberry?), coconut, Tahitian vanilla, and non-Pocky Kisyu Ume (sour plum).
In addition to boxes of Pocky and a few loose toys, there were nine of these boxes, resealed. At first I really thought that they had Godzilla toys in them, but when I opened them to check, I found each box had a bunch of different items! No Godzilla to be found.
I don't know if Michael Sensei is aware that collect penguins. My penguin collection is a bit strange and goofy, and I can't imagine any better additions than these fine fellows!
On the back of the Penguin's Lunch box is a list of the penguins available in the set... I haven't tried the actual crackers yet, but if they are excellent I may end up trying to order more through one of the local import shops.
More toys! These are based on works by Beatrix Potter.
Most of these toys are destined to be given out as reading prizes at the local library, if the teen librarian gets back to me and says that she wants them. For the record, Michael Sensei, I was born in the year of the Pig... so I'm an Aquarius/Capricorn Pig. Hmmm. And I married an Aquarius Horse. That sounds kind of kinky. By the way, I will be keeping the Seattle Mariners compressed towel.
Fish! As you can see, I'm going to have to figured out which fish belongs to which stand. Michael Sensei, being a good teacher, suggested I look them up myself. Heh. These fine fishies may show up on the Aquaman page in some form or another.
In return, Michael has asked for some cheap comics to give to his students. I need to hunt some down soon and make up a return care package. I also need to sample those Pocky! And Penguin's Lunch! And Sour Plum non-Pocky!
If you haven't read Michael Sensei's blog recently, you MUST check out his entry on Cucumber Pepsi. I like his idea for Watermelon Pepsi. I might even be willing to have pop again to try it, if it came out.
Labels: Fish, Michael Sensei, Pocky
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Catching Up
Almost caught up on Blog Reading, and maybe soon I'll put together a big linkdump. In the meantime, I only just finished reading last week's comics... I haven't started on this week's yet. And I've got a couple of review copies to look at... and Michael Sensei sent me a HUGE box of toys and Pocky (which cheered me a lot)... I haven't looked at the new DC solicits yet...
Labels: No Blog Kinda Day
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Some Links
Still working through my backlog and trying to get my brain back into gear. Here's some odd bits I've found.
Justice League Steroid Scandal.
AFI's 100 years 100 movies - Updated. The Wikipedia article has a nice chart comparing the original list to the new one. LOTS of changes.
Doctor Who/Star Wars LOL Mash-up. Doctor Who LOL with pop song reference. Doctor Who LOL with Pirates and Potters. Dalek LOLs with Wierd Al.
Animated rabbit fad.
Self-deception allows us to be happy?
Justice League Steroid Scandal.
AFI's 100 years 100 movies - Updated. The Wikipedia article has a nice chart comparing the original list to the new one. LOTS of changes.
Doctor Who/Star Wars LOL Mash-up. Doctor Who LOL with pop song reference. Doctor Who LOL with Pirates and Potters. Dalek LOLs with Wierd Al.
Animated rabbit fad.
Self-deception allows us to be happy?
Labels: Doctor Who, Links
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Gah!
I wanted to do a big ol' linkdump today, but I still can't focus enough to get through my blog reading, much less decide what I want to share. By the time I'm able to do a post all the links will be stale.
And lets not even talk about the latest DC solicits. I can't get excited about them, knowing what I know. That's a bad sign.
And lets not even talk about the latest DC solicits. I can't get excited about them, knowing what I know. That's a bad sign.
Labels: No Blog Kinda Day
Monday, June 18, 2007
Pledge Drive
So I mentioned that I did a PBS pledge drive on Saturday? I was acting more as the security person for the "break room" than doing anything useful. But I was there, and I recorded the breaks to share with you. In addition to Paul, William and Ryan, my hubby-Eric and the famous Monty the Penguin acted as talent in these two clips. Paul and William start each one off, then Eric, Monty and Ryan comment on them.
First up: The Pledge Heads.
And now that you've seen that bit of insanity, check out the all-time classic, and still considered one of the funniest bits ever done for this station, The PBS Police.
And hey, if you feel like giving the station money to contribute to the continuation of Doctor Who on KBTC, the number or the website are still active. Just select a Doctor Who thank you gift, as listed in the pull-down on the website. Along the same lines, I've got more items for KBTC up on eBay.
First up: The Pledge Heads.
And now that you've seen that bit of insanity, check out the all-time classic, and still considered one of the funniest bits ever done for this station, The PBS Police.
And hey, if you feel like giving the station money to contribute to the continuation of Doctor Who on KBTC, the number or the website are still active. Just select a Doctor Who thank you gift, as listed in the pull-down on the website. Along the same lines, I've got more items for KBTC up on eBay.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
After The Walk
After the Race for the Cure, hubby-Eric and I went down to the local PBS station in Tacoma and did the pledge drive for Doctor Who. It was 20 years since this particular PBS station first started showing Doctor Who, so we had a big party.
And I'm pretty worn out after all that... especially since I also got to go to a birthday party today. I'm still stunned that I put up pictures of myself on this blog. I generally don't do that.
Speaking of stunned, how about that last episode of Doctor Who? Wowsa. Um, no spoilers in the comments, please. Just for the folks who can't see the episodes until later.
And I'm pretty worn out after all that... especially since I also got to go to a birthday party today. I'm still stunned that I put up pictures of myself on this blog. I generally don't do that.
Speaking of stunned, how about that last episode of Doctor Who? Wowsa. Um, no spoilers in the comments, please. Just for the folks who can't see the episodes until later.
Labels: Doctor Who
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Race For The Cure
I couldn't resist.
At the Starting line, looking back on the crowd. Dancin' Dan is the grinning guy to the right wearing a Doctor Who cap, hubby-Eric is the guy on the left wearing a Mariners cap.
This is just after the start, as we climb onto the viaduct via the offramp. The folks on the upper level in the background are runners from the previous group that started a half-hour before us.
I thought I set a fast pace for the first half of the walk only because I'm a little paranoid about being on the lower level of the viaduct. I'm told by my three co-walkers that, no, I set a fast pace the entire time. We finished the 5K walk in under an hour.
From the second milepost, looking back at the crowds. There were way more people behind us than in front of us. It was an impressive sight.
I noticed a number of valves on the viaduct, and kept commenting on what would happen if I opened one, so Lisa kindly took a picture of me pretending to open one. I'm still sort of curious about them. I made Dan laugh aloud at my goofy look.
Another look back. The lower level is still packed as people come walking up. Dan asked how many people were walking. My understanding is they let about 20,000 on the viaduct at once. It really is an amazing sight.
Lisa and I paused for a sisterly portrait on the viaduct, with the ferry in the background. This is a shot that is unlikely to be duplicated... especially if the city ever gets around to actually tearing the viaduct down.
The batteries on my regular camera packed out about the time I wanted to start taking pictures, so all the pictures here are from the camera in my phone. The odd distortions on some of the shots are from my movement as I took a picture. I'm wearing a black waist pack with Torvald the Troll in it, and I also have two Race for the Cure T-shirts slung over the strap. My T-shirt is the one with the best ever Aquaman panel on it.
After we got home, I used the Pedometer to find out how far we'd actually walked. Counting the distance from the bus Eric and I took, and the distances between registration and the starting line and such, Eric and I walked over five miles. The walk itself was 5K, which is 3.1 miles.
Labels: Race for the Cure
Friday, June 15, 2007
Wish Me Luck
I'm going to do the Race for the Cure tomorrow morning, then I'm going down to the PBS station for the Doctor Who pledge drive (I'm TiVo'ing it, so fun clips might make it to YouTube). I've been nonfunctional for a couple of days, but I suspect as long as I don't have to answer phones I'll be fine. Fingers crossed, and I hope tomorrow is a stable day weather-wise.
Labels: No Blog Kinda Day
Thursday, June 14, 2007
No Blog
Another flare up today, I haven't been able to think or move most of the day. Fun.
Labels: No Blog Kinda Day
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Follow-Up Thoughts (Slightly Foggy)
I spent some more time trying to sort out my thoughts on the topic last night. It occurred to me that the reason so many people do superhero books when they create their own comics (in addition to it being what they know) is that they are trying to take the superheroes in directions that the Big Two can't. I'm thinking, in particular, of AiT/Planet Lar and Boom! Studios, who took the concepts further and better than a lot of others who have tried.
As Elayne points out in the comments of my last post, DC and Marvel have to keep their characters somewhat stable, as they are licensed properties more than characters now. This is one reason I was really behind what Kurt was doing with Aquaman. At the end, if he'd finished, we would've had the best of both worlds. In my opinion, of course. But time got in the way, as it too often does.
I wish DC (and yeah, Marvel) would take some of their more innovative but low selling books to the web. Publish them a page a day as webcomics, then release collections on a regular basis. It works for a number of other outfits. Why not Aquaman? Why not Chase? Heck, while I'm dreaming, why not Chronos? Girl Genius is doing extremely well as a webcomic with print collections. Dreamland Chronicles is doing well in that format. Powers is releasing back issues in the format, and it seems to be helping sales. Why can't one of the big two take a risk?
That pulls me into the cost issue. With manga, I get 6 different comic books in one of the anthologies (Shonen Jump or Shojo Beat). At subscription price, the anthologies, which tend to be 250-350 pages, are THE EXACT SAME PRICE as a DC title, which has 22 pages. Hikaru No Go, the reason I get Shonen Jump, tends to run about 40 pages per issue of the magazine. At 40 pages, it alone is worth the cost of the subscription. The only disadvantage at all is the lack of color... and frankly that matters very little when the story manages to be so engrossing.
I would buy a monthly DC anthology, even in B&W, if it featured at least one character I liked and was at a price I considered competitive with the manga books. But I've been told repeatedly by DC editors that anthologies simply don't work. Well, funny, Shonen Jump has pretty good sales. I don't buy the DC editors' arguments. Anthologies work if you do them right. DC doesn't know how to do anthologies anymore.
Ah well. My brain is stuttering to a stop, and I've got to get to work very soon. So I'll close this one out. I think that if DC and Marvel stopped looking at only the content of manga to try to fix their own problems, and started looking at the marketing and format of manga as well, they might be able to break out of the trend they are in. But then, what do I know? I'm just a brain-fogged fan.
As Elayne points out in the comments of my last post, DC and Marvel have to keep their characters somewhat stable, as they are licensed properties more than characters now. This is one reason I was really behind what Kurt was doing with Aquaman. At the end, if he'd finished, we would've had the best of both worlds. In my opinion, of course. But time got in the way, as it too often does.
I wish DC (and yeah, Marvel) would take some of their more innovative but low selling books to the web. Publish them a page a day as webcomics, then release collections on a regular basis. It works for a number of other outfits. Why not Aquaman? Why not Chase? Heck, while I'm dreaming, why not Chronos? Girl Genius is doing extremely well as a webcomic with print collections. Dreamland Chronicles is doing well in that format. Powers is releasing back issues in the format, and it seems to be helping sales. Why can't one of the big two take a risk?
That pulls me into the cost issue. With manga, I get 6 different comic books in one of the anthologies (Shonen Jump or Shojo Beat). At subscription price, the anthologies, which tend to be 250-350 pages, are THE EXACT SAME PRICE as a DC title, which has 22 pages. Hikaru No Go, the reason I get Shonen Jump, tends to run about 40 pages per issue of the magazine. At 40 pages, it alone is worth the cost of the subscription. The only disadvantage at all is the lack of color... and frankly that matters very little when the story manages to be so engrossing.
I would buy a monthly DC anthology, even in B&W, if it featured at least one character I liked and was at a price I considered competitive with the manga books. But I've been told repeatedly by DC editors that anthologies simply don't work. Well, funny, Shonen Jump has pretty good sales. I don't buy the DC editors' arguments. Anthologies work if you do them right. DC doesn't know how to do anthologies anymore.
Ah well. My brain is stuttering to a stop, and I've got to get to work very soon. So I'll close this one out. I think that if DC and Marvel stopped looking at only the content of manga to try to fix their own problems, and started looking at the marketing and format of manga as well, they might be able to break out of the trend they are in. But then, what do I know? I'm just a brain-fogged fan.
Labels: Aquaman, Comics Industry, Manga
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Unformed Throughts
I've been trying to sort out, with my on-going mental fogginess problem, why I'm not more upset about the possibility of Aquaman getting canceled. I think it has to do with a growing jaded feeling about American comics in general. I LOVE the current Aquaman, and I adore what Kurt, and now Tad, are trying to do with the book. But it feels to me like no one else does.
I've been reading more manga lately, and enjoying it, overall, more than most of the superhero books I read. The superhero tales seem to be constant rehashings of the same old tales, with no hope of any real character development, because as soon as you start to develop a character like Superman, or Aquaman, the fanboys go nuts and the sales drop and ... well. It's just a cycle of nonsense.
I think I've thrown up my hands in surrender. I simply don't care anymore about the fate of DC and Marvel. I want to care. I'll continue to buy Aquaman. But the stories are SO boring compared with the adventures and developments in non-DC and non-Marvel books that I just can't enjoy them anymore. You cannot put a character into stasis and expect to keep most of your audience. And neither of the big two dares to really change or develop their characters anymore. The fans will always demand Hal Jordan back. And so it goes, into boringness.
Contrast that with manga. I can pick up just about any manga series and expect a couple of things: 1) The characters are going to learn and grow and 2) The story will someday end. I get more pure enjoyment out of reading Hikaru No Go every month than all the non-Aquaman mainstream superhero comics I read combined. Same with other non-manga titles. Like Usagi Yojimbo, who has changed and whose supporting cast goes through changes. Or PS238, which had a major (and very difficult) change for one of its characters in recent issues. Or even DMZ, which promises to document a war unlike any other. Think of True Story, Swear to God... the tale may not end (I hope not!) but the characters certainly grow and develop. DC and Marvel cannot compete with these kind of powerful stories.
There is a place for the type of superheroes that DC and Marvel publish, but I'll be a sea otter's uncle if I know how this whole thing will eventually shake out. At the moment, it looks to me like manga is winning the hearts and minds of the future generations, and once the old guard like me are gone, DC and Marvel will also fade away. I doubt that will happen, but my pessimism knows no bounds at the moment.
I guess I'm more upset about Aquaman than I realized.
I've been reading more manga lately, and enjoying it, overall, more than most of the superhero books I read. The superhero tales seem to be constant rehashings of the same old tales, with no hope of any real character development, because as soon as you start to develop a character like Superman, or Aquaman, the fanboys go nuts and the sales drop and ... well. It's just a cycle of nonsense.
I think I've thrown up my hands in surrender. I simply don't care anymore about the fate of DC and Marvel. I want to care. I'll continue to buy Aquaman. But the stories are SO boring compared with the adventures and developments in non-DC and non-Marvel books that I just can't enjoy them anymore. You cannot put a character into stasis and expect to keep most of your audience. And neither of the big two dares to really change or develop their characters anymore. The fans will always demand Hal Jordan back. And so it goes, into boringness.
Contrast that with manga. I can pick up just about any manga series and expect a couple of things: 1) The characters are going to learn and grow and 2) The story will someday end. I get more pure enjoyment out of reading Hikaru No Go every month than all the non-Aquaman mainstream superhero comics I read combined. Same with other non-manga titles. Like Usagi Yojimbo, who has changed and whose supporting cast goes through changes. Or PS238, which had a major (and very difficult) change for one of its characters in recent issues. Or even DMZ, which promises to document a war unlike any other. Think of True Story, Swear to God... the tale may not end (I hope not!) but the characters certainly grow and develop. DC and Marvel cannot compete with these kind of powerful stories.
There is a place for the type of superheroes that DC and Marvel publish, but I'll be a sea otter's uncle if I know how this whole thing will eventually shake out. At the moment, it looks to me like manga is winning the hearts and minds of the future generations, and once the old guard like me are gone, DC and Marvel will also fade away. I doubt that will happen, but my pessimism knows no bounds at the moment.
I guess I'm more upset about Aquaman than I realized.
Labels: Aquaman, Comics Industry, Manga
Monday, June 11, 2007
A Few Links
Best line I read recently in a comic book: "Did your boob just sneeze?" - Shojo Beat, July 2007 in "Absolute Boyfriend".
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #105 and Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #106. If that's not enough, then read about Comic Book Urban Legends Revealers.
Scariest Kids' TV Show Ever (YouTube). Via Cheyenne.
Aw, I like jawdropping coincidences in the blogosphere.
Most Unfortunate Logos Ever. The Junior Jazz Dance Classes one took me a moment... oh dear. The description of the London Olympics logo is crude but entirely too accurate.
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #105 and Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #106. If that's not enough, then read about Comic Book Urban Legends Revealers.
Scariest Kids' TV Show Ever (YouTube). Via Cheyenne.
Aw, I like jawdropping coincidences in the blogosphere.
Most Unfortunate Logos Ever. The Junior Jazz Dance Classes one took me a moment... oh dear. The description of the London Olympics logo is crude but entirely too accurate.
Labels: Comic Book Urban Legends, Links, Manga
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Don't Blink
Truly unexpected episode of Doctor Who last night. You don't expect that an episode that doesn't feature the main cast to be that good. But then, my standards for TV are pretty low, and Doctor Who has consistently blown every other show I watch out of the water.
But seriously. Don't blink.
But seriously. Don't blink.
Labels: Doctor Who
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Unrelated to Anything Else
One year ago today I read a couple of entries in Boing Boing and had a bolt from the blue: I needed to lose weight, and I had to start NOW. Not next week, not next month, not once I've finished all the garbage in my pantry. I had to start immediately. I spent the rest of the day gathering information and tools that would help me to lose weight, and on June 10th 2006 I started tracking my eating.
Today's morning weigh-in shows that I've lost 83 pounds in this first year.
Here's the links that started it: How Zawodny lost 50 lbs with a spreadsheet's help and Weight loss tips from a geek along with Mark Evanier's Gastric Bypass Surgery. The entries aren't from the ninth, and the reason is that Frankenhaus was in the middle of a major repair, which kept me behind in my blog reading. So I didn't really read and think about those entries until a year ago today.
Where have I gone since then? Well, I'm now in the habit of tracking what I eat, and paying close attention to food labels. I now exercise regularly, if not nearly as much as I ought to. There's that weight loss, which for the first time yesterday put me BELOW hubby-Eric's weight. We now weigh about the same... the first time since we met. I have high hopes that the habits I've formed will stick with me, and that the weight will stay off for good. Let's talk about that again in another five years. My actual weight reduction should end next year, probably next autumn, if I'm counting right. Again, only time will tell.
In addition, my efforts have directly helped at least two other people to lose weight, and inspired at least a couple of others. That makes me feel pretty good, too. All-in-all, a very nice first anniversary.
Mark Evanier recently posted about his One Year Anniversary, as well.
Does anyone want details? Here's the secret: I started counting calories, and kept my calorie level under 2000 calories a day. I lowered my portions on my meals, and never go back for seconds. I snack regularly and sensibly between meals. I exercise for a few minutes at least three times a week. And that's it. Really. After a year, I get sick if I eat more than my normal amounts. Food tastes better. More intense. Desserts are sweeter. And while I still have bad health problems, those that were caused by my weight have gone almost entirely away.
Today's morning weigh-in shows that I've lost 83 pounds in this first year.
Here's the links that started it: How Zawodny lost 50 lbs with a spreadsheet's help and Weight loss tips from a geek along with Mark Evanier's Gastric Bypass Surgery. The entries aren't from the ninth, and the reason is that Frankenhaus was in the middle of a major repair, which kept me behind in my blog reading. So I didn't really read and think about those entries until a year ago today.
Where have I gone since then? Well, I'm now in the habit of tracking what I eat, and paying close attention to food labels. I now exercise regularly, if not nearly as much as I ought to. There's that weight loss, which for the first time yesterday put me BELOW hubby-Eric's weight. We now weigh about the same... the first time since we met. I have high hopes that the habits I've formed will stick with me, and that the weight will stay off for good. Let's talk about that again in another five years. My actual weight reduction should end next year, probably next autumn, if I'm counting right. Again, only time will tell.
In addition, my efforts have directly helped at least two other people to lose weight, and inspired at least a couple of others. That makes me feel pretty good, too. All-in-all, a very nice first anniversary.
Mark Evanier recently posted about his One Year Anniversary, as well.
Does anyone want details? Here's the secret: I started counting calories, and kept my calorie level under 2000 calories a day. I lowered my portions on my meals, and never go back for seconds. I snack regularly and sensibly between meals. I exercise for a few minutes at least three times a week. And that's it. Really. After a year, I get sick if I eat more than my normal amounts. Food tastes better. More intense. Desserts are sweeter. And while I still have bad health problems, those that were caused by my weight have gone almost entirely away.
Labels: Health, Unrelated to Anything Else, Weight Loss
Friday, June 08, 2007
Links
I've got a lot of blogs to try to read and catch up on, and a whole lot of links I want to check out. So here's some ones I've found for the moment. More later.
LOL Doctor Who: The Lost Frisbee. The Many Moods of Oods. Invisibles.
Paul Cornell on his Doctor Who story.
Congrats to Anna for her new store. I hope hubby-Eric and I can stop by on our trip this summer.
If you like Girl Genius, check out Othar Tryggvassen's Twitter Adventures.
I like Elayne's Corny Solution.
If you have a cat that likes to jump on your keyboard, this is for you.
Great reviews of movie trailers by pal Dorian.
You Tube Links:
Oh. My.
Recordings of Concert Intermissions. Interesting. As a musician, I would be fascinated to hear this.
This is me.
An unusual vacation. I think I wouldn't mind trying it, but not working there.
The Bad Astronomer is a Firefly Fan.
Canadian souvenir is really expensive.
I can understand the cheering ban, but denying diplomas to people who get cheered? Couldn't some jerk arrange to make sure someone doesn't get a diploma just by getting people to cheer for them? It's a stupid punishment aimed at the wrong people.
That's one of the ugliest logos I've ever seen. I like the alternate further down in the article MUCH better.
Um. Duh? Put wheels on kids shoes, some kids will be stupid and end up in hospital. Some kids won't be stupid and will still end up with broken bones. Why is this "news"?
LOL Doctor Who: The Lost Frisbee. The Many Moods of Oods. Invisibles.
Paul Cornell on his Doctor Who story.
Congrats to Anna for her new store. I hope hubby-Eric and I can stop by on our trip this summer.
If you like Girl Genius, check out Othar Tryggvassen's Twitter Adventures.
I like Elayne's Corny Solution.
If you have a cat that likes to jump on your keyboard, this is for you.
Great reviews of movie trailers by pal Dorian.
You Tube Links:
- Goonies of the Caribbean.
- Steam Trek: The Moving Picture. I know I've seen it before, but it's worth checking out again.
- Women in Art.
Oh. My.
Recordings of Concert Intermissions. Interesting. As a musician, I would be fascinated to hear this.
This is me.
An unusual vacation. I think I wouldn't mind trying it, but not working there.
The Bad Astronomer is a Firefly Fan.
Canadian souvenir is really expensive.
I can understand the cheering ban, but denying diplomas to people who get cheered? Couldn't some jerk arrange to make sure someone doesn't get a diploma just by getting people to cheer for them? It's a stupid punishment aimed at the wrong people.
That's one of the ugliest logos I've ever seen. I like the alternate further down in the article MUCH better.
Um. Duh? Put wheels on kids shoes, some kids will be stupid and end up in hospital. Some kids won't be stupid and will still end up with broken bones. Why is this "news"?
Labels: Cats, Doctor Who, Elayne, Girl Genius, Movies, Olympics, Paul Cornell, Twitter, YouTube
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Fibro Fog
I suppose I owe a little explanation. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which is shorthand for "we don't really know what's wrong with you, but you fit this category of symptoms so we'll give it that name and proceed with treatment based on that". Unfortunately, I have no health insurance, and none of the treatments we tried before it ran out worked for me. So I'm in a holding pattern at the moment. Usually the pain isn't too bad, and usually I can still think, so I'm capable of doing internet work.
Since Sunday night I've been having long periods of sheer agony and a mental fog that has kept me from doing anything more mentally stimulating than watching TV or attempting to read. I remember almost nothing of what I've read in the last few days, and the TV is a little hazy as well.
The whole thing is starting to lift, but this is probably the worst flare up I've ever had. My sister pointed out this morning that the weather around here changed dramatically Sunday evening/Monday morning, about when the flare up started. We don't know for sure if the weather affects fibro, but both my Mom's and my cases seem to be. Yeah, my Mom has it too. So do other members of my family.
The mental fog: imagine what you feel like when you know you are forgetting something, but cannot remember what it is. Now multiply that by a thousand, and surround yourself by noise so you can't focus. That's a little like what it feels like. When I can't focus, I cannot write. Thus the lack of blogging.
I suppose this entry is mostly for Jack, who's been very patiently waiting for the next Aquaman review. The problem is that I'll read the story and be unable to remember what I just read two minutes later. It's really hard to write a summary when you can't even remember what you just read. I think I've read the next Aquaman story about sixty times in the last four days, and I still couldn't tell you what happened in it. And not because it's particularly boring, just because I can't remember. It's behind a fog.
Since Sunday night I've been having long periods of sheer agony and a mental fog that has kept me from doing anything more mentally stimulating than watching TV or attempting to read. I remember almost nothing of what I've read in the last few days, and the TV is a little hazy as well.
The whole thing is starting to lift, but this is probably the worst flare up I've ever had. My sister pointed out this morning that the weather around here changed dramatically Sunday evening/Monday morning, about when the flare up started. We don't know for sure if the weather affects fibro, but both my Mom's and my cases seem to be. Yeah, my Mom has it too. So do other members of my family.
The mental fog: imagine what you feel like when you know you are forgetting something, but cannot remember what it is. Now multiply that by a thousand, and surround yourself by noise so you can't focus. That's a little like what it feels like. When I can't focus, I cannot write. Thus the lack of blogging.
I suppose this entry is mostly for Jack, who's been very patiently waiting for the next Aquaman review. The problem is that I'll read the story and be unable to remember what I just read two minutes later. It's really hard to write a summary when you can't even remember what you just read. I think I've read the next Aquaman story about sixty times in the last four days, and I still couldn't tell you what happened in it. And not because it's particularly boring, just because I can't remember. It's behind a fog.
Labels: Blogging, Fibromyalgia
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Three Days...
I'm still too sick to blog. I'll be back soon. Really. I hope.
Labels: No Blog Kinda Day
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Ouch-y
So, I'm in a fog today again. I'd like to write something, but I really can't. Maybe tomorrow.
Labels: No Blog Kinda Day
Monday, June 04, 2007
Nothing To Say
Today has been utter crap.
Labels: No Blog Kinda Day
Sunday, June 03, 2007
No Blog Kind of Day
No blog today because I was busy doing other stuff.
Labels: No Blog Kinda Day
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Doctor Who: Human Nature/Family of Blood
Oh wow.
Good job Paul! Good job David! Good job EVERYBODY! Wow.
I pulled out our copy of the original book, which is happily signed by Paul even, and I'm going to reread it. Wow. Wow. Wow.
Good job Paul! Good job David! Good job EVERYBODY! Wow.
I pulled out our copy of the original book, which is happily signed by Paul even, and I'm going to reread it. Wow. Wow. Wow.
Labels: Doctor Who
Friday, June 01, 2007
Ripples Through Time - 135
I'm reading every Aquaman solo adventure in publication order. After I read each story I will post the cover/splash page and a few thoughts on the story.
Adventure #212 (May 1955) - The Giant Tropical Fish!
Aquaman goes on a mission to an inland lake to destroy a secret shipment of rare chemicals.
Finny Friends Report: The giant fish pull Aquaman out of the whirlpool, then pull the packet into the whirlpool to get rid of it. Another fish helps Aquaman jump out of the lake.
Quotefile: Aquaman, "Great scott! Look at the size of that angel fish! But that's impossible -- angel fish never grow larger than four inches at the most!"
Aqua-Exclamations: "Holy Mackerel"
Glove Color: Yellow.
Deep inland, Aquaman has to jump from the plane because there aren't any landing fields nearby. You have to wonder how he gets back to the sea. The packet of chemicals was dropped because the plane was having engine trouble... but based on the size of the packet, that doesn't make a lot of sense unless it was dropped along with a lot of other stuff. Another issue is how Mr. Orwell is able to raise tropical fish in an inland lake somewhere in mid-America. But hey, let's not get too picky.
This is yet another story which ends with Aquaman wondering if he dreamed the whole thing. Aquaman doubts his fantastic reality an awful lot.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Aquaman goes on a mission to an inland lake to destroy a secret shipment of rare chemicals.
Finny Friends Report: The giant fish pull Aquaman out of the whirlpool, then pull the packet into the whirlpool to get rid of it. Another fish helps Aquaman jump out of the lake.
Quotefile: Aquaman, "Great scott! Look at the size of that angel fish! But that's impossible -- angel fish never grow larger than four inches at the most!"
Aqua-Exclamations: "Holy Mackerel"
Glove Color: Yellow.
Deep inland, Aquaman has to jump from the plane because there aren't any landing fields nearby. You have to wonder how he gets back to the sea. The packet of chemicals was dropped because the plane was having engine trouble... but based on the size of the packet, that doesn't make a lot of sense unless it was dropped along with a lot of other stuff. Another issue is how Mr. Orwell is able to raise tropical fish in an inland lake somewhere in mid-America. But hey, let's not get too picky.
This is yet another story which ends with Aquaman wondering if he dreamed the whole thing. Aquaman doubts his fantastic reality an awful lot.
Have you read this story? What do you think?
Labels: Aquaman, Ripples Through Time
Partylite Candles
My Partylite Candles arrived last night, in a special delivery by my Mom. In addition to the tealights I had ordered, my Mom bought me the wall sconce I really wanted (!) and she and Lisa conspired to buy me some votive candles to fit in it, including the pumpkin ones! I love my family.
I've been burning tealights that my little sister has supplied for me while I waited for my order to come in. The tealights have a very light scent, and don't fill up a full room. But they work GREAT in my little bathroom, and keep that room smelling much better than its usual musty/bathroomy scents.
The wall sconce looks great on my wall, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet, because I waited for hubby-Eric to get home and get permission to place it where I wanted to put it (it's only right to consult with your partner before putting holes in a wall).
I've decided to do a party at some point, but not sure when yet or who will want to come. I know my house will smell great after, and if people buy some stuff I'll get a couple of free candles. I do want to invite my sisters so we can be a little girly for a bit. And for myself, I want a snuffer... and a tabletop votive holder or two... and more candles.
I've been burning tealights that my little sister has supplied for me while I waited for my order to come in. The tealights have a very light scent, and don't fill up a full room. But they work GREAT in my little bathroom, and keep that room smelling much better than its usual musty/bathroomy scents.
The wall sconce looks great on my wall, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet, because I waited for hubby-Eric to get home and get permission to place it where I wanted to put it (it's only right to consult with your partner before putting holes in a wall).
I've decided to do a party at some point, but not sure when yet or who will want to come. I know my house will smell great after, and if people buy some stuff I'll get a couple of free candles. I do want to invite my sisters so we can be a little girly for a bit. And for myself, I want a snuffer... and a tabletop votive holder or two... and more candles.
